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Image forming apparatus

a technology of forming apparatus and forming chamber, which is applied in the direction of electrographic process apparatus, instruments, optics, etc., can solve the problems of contaminated cleaning device, deposited matter clogging inside the cleaning device, and deposited matter scraped off the roller cannot be collected on the feeding member,

Active Publication Date: 2017-12-05
CANON KK
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus for forming images with toner. The apparatus includes a movable member-to-be-cleaned on which toner is deposited, a first cleaning unit, and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit removes toner deposited on the member-to-be-cleaned using a first attracting member, a first rotatable member, and a first blade member. The toner scraped off by the first blade member drops by gravity at a first position. The second cleaning unit removes toner deposited on the member-to-be-cleaned using a second attracting member, a second rotatable member, and a second blade member. The toner scraped off by the second blade member drops by gravity at a second position. A feeding member is provided to feed the toner dropped from the first and second positions. The technical effect of the invention is to provide an efficient and effective apparatus for cleaning toner deposits from the member-to-be-cleaned.

Problems solved by technology

However, in the case where such a constitution is employed, there is a possibility that the deposited matter scraped by the two (first and second) scraping members is deposited on the wall surface of the container.
Then, when the deposited matter is further deposited on the deposited matter which has already been deposited, the deposited matter clogs inside the cleaning device, so that the deposited matter scraped off the roller cannot collected on the feeding member.
In this case, there is a liability that the cleaning device is contaminated with the deposited matter which overflowed from the cleaning device.

Method used

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Experimental program
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Effect test

first embodiment

[Image Forming Apparatus]

[0019]An image forming apparatus 100 according to First Embodiment is, as shown in FIG. 1, a color image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type. The image forming apparatus 100 includes stations Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd as image forming portions for forming toner images of 4 colors of yellow (Pa), magenta (Pb), cyan (Pc) and black (Pd). The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem image forming apparatus of an intermediary transfer type in which these stations Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd are disposed along an intermediary transfer belt 7.

[0020]In the following, a constitution of the stations will be described using the station Pa for yellow as an example. Other stations Pb, Pc and Pd have the same constitution as the constitution of the station Pa except for the colors of the toners, and therefore, will be omitted from description. The station Pa includes a photosensitive drum 1 rotating along a feeding direction of the intermediary transfer belt 7, and includes a c...

modified embodiment

[0062]In the above-described cleaner unit 18, in place of the negative polarity cleaning set 18N, a blade member 38 (FIG. 3) contacting the secondary transfer belt 176 may also be provided. This blade member 38 contacts the secondary transfer belt 176 in a state in which a free end portion thereof extends counterdirectionally to the feeding direction (arrow R direction) of the secondary transfer belt 176 in the upper left direction. In this case, an end portion of the free end portion of the blade member 38 in a side where the deposited matter drops may preferably be disposed so as to overlap with the feeding screw 188 as seen from above. As a result, the deposited matters scraped by the cleaning blade 183 and the blade member 38 can be dropped on the feeding screw 188 without being deposited on the wall surface or the like of the casing 192. That is, the cleaner unit in this modified embodiment is, similarly as in the above-described case where the negative polarity cleaning set 18...

second embodiment

[0063]A cleaner unit 28 (cleaning device) in Second Embodiment will be described. The cleaner unit 28 is different from the cleaner unit 18 of First Embodiment in rotational directions of the bias rollers and arrangements of the cleaning blades. Other constitutions are the same as those of the above-described cleaner unit 18, and therefore members similar to those in First Embodiment are represented by the same reference numerals or symbols and will be omitted from description.

[Cleaner Unit]

[0064]The cleaner unit 28 in this embodiment includes, as shown in FIG. 10, a positive polarity cleaning set 28P, a negative polarity cleaning set 28N and a feeding screw 188. The positive polarity cleaning set 28P includes a brush roller 181, a bias roller 282 rotating in a contact state with the brush roller 181, and a cleaning blade 283 contacting the bias roller 282 at a free end portion 283a thereof. The brush roller 181 and the bias roller 282 are connected with a high-voltage output substr...

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PUM

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a member-to-be-cleaned, a first cleaner unit including a first attracting member, a first rotatable member and a first blade member, a second cleaner unit including a second attracting member, a second rotatable member and a second blade member, and a feeding member. The feeding member rotates around its rotational axis and is provided vertically below a first position where a toner drops by gravitation and a second position where the toner drops by gravitation. The feeding member is disposed such that vertical lines passing through the first position and the second position cross the feeding member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART[0001]The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a cleaning device for cleaning a surface of a member-to-be-cleaned.[0002]Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-A) 2013-57703, a cleaning device for cleaning an intermediary transfer belt, in which a first unit for removing a toner by using a positive bias voltage and a second unit for removing the toner by using a negative bias voltage are provided has been provided. In this cleaning device, each of the first unit and the second unit includes a brush roller for attracting the toner deposited on an intermediary transfer belt and a collecting roller for collecting the toner attracted to the brush roller. Further, each of the first unit and the second unit includes a scraping blade for scraping the deposited toner off the collecting roller and a screw for feeding the toner scraped off the collecting roller by the scraping blade to an outs...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G03G15/16
CPCG03G15/161G03G15/1605G03G15/168G03G2215/1623G03G2215/0129
Inventor KISHI, TAKEHIRO
Owner CANON KK